No starch: how to quickly thicken jam that turned out too runny
Even if the jam was initially quite thick, it becomes thinner during heat treatment.
Starch is often used as a thickener, but then the finished product has a corresponding taste that not everyone likes.
Culinary expert of HERE NEWS, chef and fourth-class baker Yulia Arkhipova will tell you what to do in such a situation.
Why the jam doesn't thicken
Some fruits and berries contain more pectin than others, and it is this substance that is ultimately responsible for the marmalade consistency of jam.
Pectin fruits include apples, grapefruits and oranges. But all other popular ingredients contain significantly less of this substance.
Therefore, if the outcome is not what you originally expected, the situation can still be corrected.
First, you can add store-bought pectin to the jam. The powdered ingredient must be added to the future jam before heating it.
Another common option is to add gelatin. To do this, simply dissolve the substance in warm water and add it to the jam during cooking.
If you don't like gelatin, a natural analogue of gelatin called agar-agar will come to the rescue. It is also poured with warm water until it swells, then a little more water is added, heated on the stove and added to the main product.
